Shloka 26
Adhyāya 195 — Arjuna’s Capability and Restraint Regarding Divyāstras
Udyoga Parva
शकटापणवेशाश्र यान॑ युग्यं च सर्वश: । तत्र नागसहस्राणि हयानामयुतानि च । फल्गु सर्व कलत्रं च यत्किज्चित् कृशदुर्बलम्
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: śakaṭāpaṇa-veśāśraya-yānāni yugyaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | tatra nāga-sahasrāṇi hayānām ayutāni ca | phalgu sarva-kalatraṃ ca yat kiñcit kṛśa-durbalam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “There were gathered in every way carts and wagons, market-stalls and supplies for dress and equipment, conveyances, and all kinds of harnessed vehicles. There too were thousands of elephants and tens of thousands of horses, along with various minor goods, women and families, and whatever people were thin, weak, or otherwise unfit for hardship—everything that needed to be carried along.” In context, the verse underscores the burdens and moral weight of mobilization: even a righteous cause draws in dependents and the vulnerable, making the journey to conflict a collective ordeal rather than a private ambition.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when rulers act under the banner of dharma, large-scale action—especially movement toward war—inevitably involves dependents, resources, and the vulnerable. The verse highlights the ethical gravity of leadership: decisions ripple through entire households and those least able to endure hardship.
The narrator lists the extensive preparations and the mass of people, animals, and goods being assembled for travel: carts, supplies, conveyances, thousands of elephants, tens of thousands of horses, families, and those weak or unfit for strain—indicating a major mobilization and migration accompanying the royal movement.